Mali: the UN ends up withdrawing the forces of the MINUSMA

The Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution by which it ends the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, as of June 30, 2023, and orders its withdrawal by December 31, 2023.The text, presented by France, was adopted unanimously by its fifteen members. The Council notes that, in a letter addressed to the President of the Security Council, the Malian transitional Government has requested the immediate withdrawal of MINUSMA.

MINUSMA is required to immediately begin the cessation of its operations, the transfer of its tasks, as well as the orderly and safe withdrawal of its person.The UN Security Council voted unanimously on June 30 to end the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali by the end of the year.“It has been decided to terminate the mandate of MINUSMA under resolution 2640 (2022) effective June 30, 2023,” the resolution reads.

The process is expected to be completed by December 31, 2023, in close consultation with Mali's transitional government, according to the document. During its more than 10-year deployment, some 187 peacekeepers lost their lives.However, it is not the death toll that is driving the UN out of Mali. It is the country's military government that is insisting that the 12,000 international troops leave.

For its part, Russia considered it "important" that the Security Council "respond unanimously to Mali's request", indicated the Russian deputy permanent representative, Anna Evstigneeva.“We reiterate our support for Bamako so that it assumes full responsibility and the leading role in stabilizing the situation in Mali,” she added.Moscow thanked the peacekeepers and the civilian staff of MINUSMA "for their service and their dedicated work on behalf of the Malians". Russia also honors the memory of peacekeepers "who sacrificed their lives" in this country.

Moscow will continue to provide comprehensive bilateral assistance to Mali with the aim of ensuring the country's stabilization, concludes the permanent representative.On June 16, the head of Malian diplomacy Abdoulaye Diop had asked for the departure of Minusma before the UN Security Council, pointing to the "failure" of the latter which, according to him, was "part of the problem".

The UN mission, present in Mali since 2013, has been criticized on several occasions for its impotence by the populations and their leaders, despite the deployment of more than 12,000 soldiers to date and an annual budget of 1.26 billion dollars.Last year, France withdrew its forces after military rulers took control of Mali.